Belief
by LazuliEmbassy
Summary: Shiny Chariot, the Guardian of Belief, was stripped of her powers after using the Dream Fuel Spirit. Seven years later, when both Croix and Pitch are looking for the Grand Triskelion, and she's deprived of her very center, she's recruited alongside Akko for an adventure she'll never forget.
1. Note

Before this story begins, I'd like to at least explain where I got the idea from. If you've watched both Little Witch Academia and Rise Of The Guardians, this should make sense to you.

First of all, I noticed that there are actually quite a lot of similarities between them:

 **1.** They both have some mysterious lore related to the moon; in Little Witch Academia, the moon has a large star-shaped mark in it from where Chariot shot it at one of her shows. In Rise Of The Guardians, the Man in the Moon is a mysterious figure who decides who the Guardians are. Now, if Chariot was a Guardian, and she shot the moon... do you get what I mean?

 **2.** They both have adorable brunette kids who always believe in their idols when nobody else will (Akko and Jamie, respectively).

 **3.** They both have rebellious magical teenagers. (Amanda O'Neill and Jack Frost)

 **4.** They both have an awesome character that never says anything (Sandy and Constanze).

 **5.** They both have a rival to the main character who's from another country. (Diana Cavendish and E.Aster Bunnymund. Ironically, Diana's from England yet she doesn't have an accent.)

 **6.** They both have a lovable, chubby Russian character (Jasminka and North).

 **7.** One element that's repeated throughout Little Witch Academia is one of Chariot's quotes; 'A believing heart is your magic', so how would that apply if she was a Guardian and relied on belief?

 **8.** Little Witch Academia and Rise Of The Guardians both have a villain that works with negative emotions (Croix and Pitch).

Secondly, the basic plot of this story is that of Little Witch Academia and Rise Of The Guardians combined: Shiny Chariot was a Guardian that had her powers taken away and is recruited again after several years; the reason being that Croix and Pitch want to find the Grand Triskelion.

Anyway, that's all that I really have to say, and I'm sorry if this story seems rushed or horrible because it's a crossover, but thank you if you decide to read it anyway.


	2. That Fateful Show

Over the skies of the city, a single bird made of light appeared, flapping its wings as streams of golden sand trailed across the sky, only seen to anyone who believed. But that wasn't where it needed to go, and what it was there for. And not _everyone_ was asleep...

Little Atsuko 'Akko' Kagari sat in the audience, patiently waiting as the lights of the stage dimmed, signifying the show was about to start. The crowds only chatted and murmured as Akko observed the place, before her eyes fell on a girl her age, with platinum blonde hair and green highlights.

The girl noticed her staring, and simply smiled, waving at her. Akko hesitated, before smiling and waving too.

Their little introduction was cut short, however, as a cold wind swept over the crowd, before several people cheered as a bird zoomed by, right past Akko as she held onto her hat.

The bird swooped across the sky, before landing on the stage and disappearing in a burst of light to reveal a gorgeous young lady, seemingly in her 20s.

With short, spiky red hair and a matching crimson cape, a large hat with a star emblem on it and a beautiful outfit, she faced the crowd with glee.

This person was none other than the title act of this event - Shiny Chariot herself!

"Welcome to..." she grinned with a smile like the sun, "The world of magic!"

Akko cheered amongst the crowd, as Chariot beamed in the spotlight.

"Now please, open out your hand, for your story is about to begin!" She said, a magical staff with seven gemstones embedded into it appearing in her hand, bouncing around on the stage and slamming it down onto the ground, a wave of light spreading over the audience, ready to start a show routine she had done for thousands of years.

A wave of magic that seemed like a liquid washed over the crowd, making Akko hold her breath on instinct but stop once she realised that it wasn't physically there and she didn't have to.

Chariot only smiled more as she released another wave of magic, causing colourful butterflies and fireworks made of light to shoot out, creating a beautiful sight to see.

Akko smiled with wonder upon looking up at this feat, but stopped as her chest began to glow, a tiny fairy appearing out of it and hovering around her for a while, before flying up into the sky among countless others. The brunette couldn't help but watch, reaching out for the fairy as it flew out of her reach.

But that wasn't her only concern, for suddenly, black cubes and dark particles started hovering in the air, forming a giant mouth that chomped on all the fairies and animals, consuming them before morphing into a dragon-like beast, releasing a roar that made Akko quiver in fear.

Chariot noticed this, and without hesitation, turned her staff, the Shiny Rod, into the Shiny Palai, a magnificent broom. Hopping on it and zooming into the air, she stopped as the monster got closer, stepping onto a platform of the stage.

"Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor!" she called out into the night sky, and at once the Shiny Rod spun, morphing and changing into a large, articulate bow, as an arrow made of plasma and magic materialised in her hands.

"Shiny..." she drew it back, "ARC!"

The arrow soared in the air, right into the beast's mouth as it opened wide, a glowing beam coming from inside it, before it exploded, releasing all the fairies and animals who were luckily unharmed as they flew up into the sky.

Chariot stood, soaring on her broom as fireworks exploded around her, the moon giving a holy light as it shone down upon her and the crowd.

She stood there in silence, before shooting at the sky, a green, swirling portal appearing from thin air.

"Never forget..." she spoke clearly, the words ringing in Akko's head for years to come. " _Believe_ in yourself..."

"Believe in _me_..." she slowly rose up towards the portal, glancing down at the crowd one more time.

"That is your magic!" she cried, and the portal closed in a flash of light, leaving the crowd behind in wonder and _belief_ , Akko still gazing up at where she was in amazement, before a tiny, green star fell from the sky, into her hands.

She closed them with a smile, giving a hopeful look at the sky, knowing that someday she would become a great witch like her.


	3. Reality

Ursula Callistis stared up at the moon through the window in her office. Her eyes, obscured by the opaque lenses of her glasses, pleaded it, begging for answers.

It had been seven years since she had used the Dream Fuel Spirit, and since she had been removed of her powers and her title as Shiny Chariot and a Guardian. If only she hadn't have been so irresponsible... Professor Woodward was nowhere to be found, and Manny - could she even call him that anymore? - didn't talk to her at all.

The only friend she had had during her time as Shiny Chariot was the Sandman, with them at least having met each other a few hundred years into their lives. Now, she hadn't seen him in ages and he probably hated her guts and she was useless...

She was torn from her thoughts when her familiar, Alcor, a white bird with a star-shaped mark on its chest flew in, holding a scroll in his beak.

"Oh, thank you, Alcor." she smiled down at him, taking a quill and beginning to finish her paperwork. Being a professor at Luna Nova was tedious sometimes, but it was better seeing the smile on Akko's face every morning.

Akko in question was her student - and a _big_ fan and believer of Shiny Chariot. It just so happened that she had somehow found the Shiny Rod, and since then she had taught her to unlock the Seven Words of Arcturus to get to the Grand Triskelion before Croix could.

Croix and Ursula had known each other during their days as students at Luna Nova - but now she was planning something, and she could have sworn she had seen _black sand_ following her out of the corner of her eye occasionally - what or _who_ was she working with?

Ursula pondered this as she finished writing the final sentence, and got up to check the time; she had mentoring with Akko in five minutes; she'd better not be late.

Stepping into an empty classroom, she carefully sorted out some supplies as the moon shone down on her in the night sky through the windows. All the other students were in their dormitories, she thought. Some part of her felt something, as if she hoped that _he_ would come back, that her only friend would still care about her - though that was unlikely.

After all, she never really did get any sleep anyway.

Helpless, she watched as soon, golden streams of sand floated over the sky, descending into the hallways of Luna Nova to give every person good dreams. Ursula gave a sad smile, before staring up at the sky, tiredly.

"Professor Ursula!"

She was torn from her thoughts when Akko walked in, gripping the Shiny Rod; it seemed she was never seen without it.

"Oh, hello, Akko. Sorry, I was just lost in thought..." she trailed off, adjusting her glasses. Akko's expression changed to a confused one as she walked over.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked, concerned. "If there's something wrong, you can tell me."

"It's...nothing, Akko." said Ursula more tired than ever all of a sudden. "I'm just... tired..." she droned, looking like she was about to cry or pass out.

"Are you sure you want to continue, Professor Ursula?" Akko frowned, seeing how sleep-deprived her mentor was. "We can cancel mentoring and just try again tomorrow if you're _that_ tired."

"No, it's fine," Ursula waved her hand, "It's getting late anyway. You can just... go back to sleep..."

"Uh, okay then..." Akko left for the door, but not before looking back one last time. "Goodnight, Professor Ursula."

The professor was already fast asleep on one of the desks, her glasses slightly askew. Akko couldn't help but smile at this, walking over to fix them, but stopping as soon as she heard a ringing sound nearby.

Slowly, she turned, holding the Shiny Rod out in case something would attack, but instead was amazed as a trail of golden sand came in through the window and swirled around Ursula's head, forming the shape of a small star.

Akko only watched this sight, before she practically _dashed_ to the window and looked outside, seeing not just one, but several of them leading up into the sky.

Akko wanted to go up there and see what was happening, but then she realised that she couldn't ride a broom at all; sighing, she went back to her dormitory, disappointed.

* * *

Ursula opened her eyes, only to see that she was in a garden at Luna Nova, several petals and particles falling in the air.

"Wha-?" She glanced around the place, seeing nothing, before she realised how tired she had been before and how strange this all seemed - she must be dreaming.

"Oh... I'm just dreaming." She said, stepping backwards a little, before hearing a ringing sound to her left. It got louder, as if calling for help.

Unconsciously, Ursula ran towards the source, the sound getting louder in her ears as she kept running, the garden slowly turning into a white void, before she heard a cracking sound.

Ursula looked down to see that the ground was falling apart, and it gave way as she fell with a scream, reaching out into the sky and her only friend as the void slowly turned black, everything disintegrating into darkness, not a single flash of gold or a smile anywhere to be found.

Ursula slowly looked up, as black cubes began to float towards her, spinning around as they exploded into light before forming Croix, who looked down at her as the rushing feeling of falling stopped and she stood up.

"C-Croix?" Ursula stammered, but Croix pulled a dismissive face and sighed. "How? W-Why?"

"Listen, _Chariot_ ," Croix ignored her and carried on with her explanation, "I've been working with some new technology and this is as far as the prototype will let me go. I have approximately 2 minutes before the dream ends... but that's when you choose to wake up."

"Croix, what do you mean, 'working with some new technology'?" Ursula got defensive, pulling out her wand, but becoming shocked as it exploded into black dust. "What are you working with? _Who_ are you working with?"

"That's not for me to say." Croix shrugged, before getting closer, her eyes flickering yellow for a second. "But I'm going to tell you; you're going to be _afraid_ when it's all over."

"What?" Ursula's eyes widened, before something grabbed her by the arm, restraining her as Croix summoned more of her Magitech, using it to turn into a black weapon with red lines of electricity running through it. "CROIX, WHAT ARE YOU-"

"I think it's best we end this dream now, anyway." Croix smirked, as an entirely new figure with dark hair, unsettling yellow eyes and black robes loomed over her, giving a smile similar to her own before he dissolved into dark sand, entering the spear as it fueled with powerful energy.

Ursula screamed in shock as the spear fired, a burning feeling cutting through her chest, before she was torn from the dream, back into reality.

* * *

Ursula shot up, clutching her chest but not feeling any pain. Slowly, she loomed around, only to see that it was daytime now and Akko was nowhere to be found.

 _Probably left after I fell asleep,_ she thought.

Slowly getting up and gathering her things, she hastily walked down the hall, not noticing the tiny specks of black sand on her desk.


	4. I Do Believe

"I _know_ it was him! I know he must have been here last night!" Akko cried, while her friends only gave her strange looks. "Oh, you should have seen it! There was sand everywhere and it was over Professor Ursula's head and there were thousands of sand trails leading up into the sky!"

"Akko, I don't really think a _person_ caused that." Lotte remarked, straightening her glasses. "I mean, you could argue that it might be Wagandea's pollen, but Wagandea's pollen is way thicker than sand; and also, sand doesn't just float."

"But it's magic! We literally live in a world with magic and you don't believe that something like that is real?" Akko objected, pointing at Lotte. "I know the Sandman's real! And the other legendd are as well!"

"That's what you always say about Shiny Chariot," Sucy said, pouring a potion onto the grass, resulting in a crystallized mushroom to grow, and stuffing it into her pocket.

"But Shiny Chariot is amazing too! She takes magic and produces it in an entirely new way!" Akko grinned at the thought of her idol. "Never forget, your belief is your magic! And that's why you should believe in him too!"

"It's not impossible, I guess," said Lotte, "But if you saw thousands of them leading to the same place, then something must be going on here."

" _Say it_ , Lotte." Akko stared at her, her eyes sparkling with determination. "Say that you believe."

"Alright..." Lotte fidgeted nervously, before taking a determined look. "I _do_ believe! At least, I believe that he might be the cause of all this."

"That's good enough for me," Akko nodded, and turned to Sucy. "Sucy?"

"I couldn't care less, really." she shrugged, before pouring out her potion again and holding up another crystal mushroom. The sunlight reflected its edges perfectly, radiating colourful light.

"Well, I'm glad you two support me, since I couldn't really get up there cause I can't ride a broom..." Akko trailed off, but shook her head and carried on. "But I just know they're all real; plus, in the news people keep finding these weird flowers planted everywhere in convenient spots. Maybe that's proof that the Groundhog exists!"

"You seriously still believe in those things?" A mocking voice came from beside them, and they all turned to see Hannah, Barbara and Diana standing near them, the former two laughing and the latter giving a calm but sympathetic look.

"Yeah, I do." Akko huffed and turned away with her arms crossed. "So what?"

"I don't know, maybe the fact that most people talk about them if they're like, _five_?" Hannah retorted, as she and Barbara giggled.

"Hey! Belief is important! Chariot always used to say that-"

"Your belief is your magic?" Diana cut in, shocking all of them. "Honestly, Akko, that isn't 'real' magic. It's only fancy lights and fireworks made by someone who was inspired by a fad."

"Oh, _come on_ , Diana!" Akko objected, "I know they are! There were these trails of sand floating up into the sky and there are flowers popping up in convenient places everywhere! Don't you at least believe in some of them?"

"I told you, I don't-

"Please, Diana!" Akko interrupted her, "There's plenty of legends to choose from! Like, for example... the Tooth Fairy! Or... Santa Claus and the Sandman!"

All the while, Hannah and Barbara only snickered more while Diana kept a straight face.

"Or, Jack Frost!" said Akko with a smile, remembering the new legend apparently everyone was talking about, originating from a town called Burgess in a different country. "Or how about... um, the _Easter Bunny_!"

"I told you, Akko, I don't-" Diana stated, but froze upon hearing the last part.

 _Easter..._

Slowly, while the conversation went on, she blacked out as several memories flooded through her...

* * *

Her mother standing by her side, telling her the story of Beatrix Cavendish, the first witch and founder of the Cavendish name.

* * *

A younger version of her watching fireworks and magic light up the sky, as a crowd cheered around her, along with a brunette girl wearing a witch's hat.

* * *

Trying desperately for ages to make her magic work again, but to no avail.

* * *

A servant of the Cavendish family standing near her mother as she began to talk about an amazing event, a search for a special prize.

* * *

A younger version of her carrying a basket with a smile, reaching up for an egg that was hidden in the branches of a tree.

* * *

A large creature smiling down at her, holding out a painted egg with periwinkle and silver-coloured patterns.

* * *

Another servant putting down a phone while coming over to her with a panicked look, telling her to get in a car as they drove to a hospital.

* * *

Sitting by her mother while she lay in a cold room, on a white bed, her breath rattling as a heartbeat monitor beeped beside her, trying to stay with her as she once again told her her hopes that she would rejuvenate the Cavendish name.

* * *

The beeping coming to a stop and drawing out as her mother took her last breath with a smile, her warm embrace soon turning cold, her eyes slipping shut, and her hand going limp.

* * *

The tears that went down her face as she watched her mother's coffin be lowered into the ground, still thinking about that creature and what she had to live for if her mother wasn't there.

* * *

"Diana?"

She opened her eyes, blinking back the tears and recomposing herself.

"F-Forgive me, I just blacked out for a second there." She reassured them, before hastily walking away. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." She walked off, before bolting it into the hallways of Luna Nova, passing several students and professors who she quickly greeted, and into her room, where she finally stopped, breathing heavily.

Slowly, she walked over to her desk, opening one of the drawers to find a single Easter Egg, the same one that mysterious creature had given her, still as clean and beautiful as when she had first been given it.

She gazed at it, being reminded of the hope and joy she had as a child, the love she shared with her mother, the memories of her smile and how she believed in her when nobody else would...

"I _do_ believe in them," she whispered to herself. "At least, not out loud."

* * *

Ursula walked through the hallways of Luna Nova, passing countless students and teachers alike; until Croix walked past her and stopped.

"Croix," she began.

"Chariot," Croix smirked, "I trust you got my message last night?"

"I already asked you," Ursula snarled, "Who are you working with?" Croix only chuckled and turned to her once again.

"Isn't it obvious, Chariot?" Croix tried to refresh her memory as they stood in the empty hallway. "The black sand, the bad dreams, the fact that you haven't got _any_ sleep for years-"

"No," Ursula whispered upon realising who it was. "You're seriously working with _him_ , of all people?"

"It'll be nothing once we get the Shiny Rod for analysis later." Croix smirked and tapped her head. "Now, I think this conversation is over."

"Wait, Croix!" Ursula cried, grabbing her former friend by the shoulder. "The Guardians will find out about this, the Man in the Moon will find out about this, they'll-"

"Ah, yes, of course." Croix only squinted at her, her smile even wider. "Because they'll _surely_ trust the Guardian that lost her powers and took magic away from innocent children?"

This stopped Ursula right in her tracks.

"Now, if you'll excuse me..." she pushed past the devastated witch, following her own path.

Ursula turned back as Croix left, helpless. She was right; what power did she have to stop all this?


	5. The Beginning

"Alright, so here's the plan; tomorrow night, we sneak outside, use our brooms and go up there if we see that sand again!" Akko grinned as her friends listened, most of them giving her confused looks as the stars and the moon shone through the windows of her dormitory. "That way, if we see anybody up there, we have some evidence and everyone at Luna Nova can finally see what's happening!"

"I just hope we don't have to go too far..." Lotte remarked, grabbing a pile of books and setting them down in front of them all, opening one to a page of several mysterious figures and phenomena.

"You know, sometimes it's really convenient that Professor Croix invented that Sorcerer's Salary Systematic thing." Amanda said, twirling her wand around, causing some feathers from the pillows to move in a circle.

"It's the _Sorcery Solution System_ , Amanda." Sucy corrected, though she couldn't care less.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Amanda waved her hand at Sucy, who went back to reading some of the books Lotte had provided. "But don't you think it's convenient that she made something _perfect_ for a situation like this? I can only imagine the amount of hard work that went into it."

"Convenient or not, what matters is that we need to find this thing out first thing tomorrow night." Akko stared at them all, determined. "We'll prove Diana wrong! We'll prove them all wrong! We'll make them _believe,_ because your belief is your magic!"

"Yeah!" Jasminka cheered, being the only person in the room to do this, before going back to eating from a pack of marshmallows. Constanze silently nodded, before going back to configuring a magical gun that could be powered by her wand. One of her Stan-bots walked up to her carrying a box of nails and power tools, to which she smiled at it and patted its head.

"But wasn't this _your_ idea in the first place?" Sucy gave Akko a slight glare. "We literally have no reason to be here other than to solve your dumb rivalry."

"At least, it'll be interesting!" Akko retaliated, trying to persuade them. "Don't you want to find out if all of this is real? Don't you want to encourage everyone to _believe_? That's what Chariot used to say; she wanted everyone to believe in themselves, to believe in her... don't you want that?"

Sucy just stood there, unmoved, while Jasminka, Lotte and surprisingly Constanze looked like they were about to cry from that speech.

"Alright, I'll do it." Sucy sighed, as Akko beamed with joy. "But only because it's interesting."

"Well then, I'm glad I got you all to come around." Akko grinned, before gazing at the sky dramatically. "Because now, we can show everyone that _belief_ is your magic!"

Everyone instantly began discussing their plans, not noticing Ursula watching nearby with a sad smile on her face, glad that at least somebody still believed.

* * *

Diana sat at her desk, opening a book to find several historic records of the Cavendish family, still thinking about yesterday. That mysterious creature she had remembered... could it be something to do with all this 'belief' Akko was talking about? She had never seen it again since her mother had died, but maybe it was one of these so-called 'myths'.

"Easter..." she trailed off, the mere mention of the word making her cringe as she thought back to that fateful day that her mother had d... _left_ her, and the last time she ever saw that creature. Tge memories blurred in her mind as she got more stressed, only a few fragments left of what she remembered. Sometimes it came flooding back when she looked at that egg, but she tried to wrack her brain for any details.

Giant...caring...Australian?

Diana's expression immediately turned into a confused one upon that thought. She was still holding tight onto those memories, the things that kept slipping away and coming back, and of all the character traits she knew from that creature she had met... an Australian accent? That was the one character trait that stuck out to her?

"I've been thinking too much..." she sighed, before getting up and heading for bed, confused even more.

* * *

Ursula stared up at the moon, her eyes pleading for it to at least tell the other Guardians, to warn Sanderson, to warn them what was coming... but it still said nothing.

"One of the most urgent situations and you don't even answer?" Ursula asked, desperate. "Please, just tell them. You've never talked to me for years but I'm actually serious this time... _please_."

The moon didn't reply, and Ursula's sadness soon turned to rage.

"WHY?" She yelled at it, as angry ters began to flow out of her eyes. "Can't you just _talk_ to me for once? I _know_ I've been bad, I _know_ I deserve this, but something big is coming and-" She stopped herself as she shut her eyes tightly, covering her face with one hand.

"Please... can't you just listen? Can't you just _care_?"

The moon was silent, as its glow dimmed, and Ursula took that as a cue to leave, hot tears ebbing out of her eyes.

Slowly, she walked away from the window, tightly holding her shaking arm and turning to a mirror, seeing not her former self, but a disappointment. Her eyes drifted back to the window where the moon had been covered by clouds, her tearful eyes soon melting into a glare.

Her hand shook as she opened it, before it balled into a tight, shaking fist. She looked up, her eyes meeting that of her reflection's; which changed into an imae of Shiny Chariot, only she was looking at her with a mocking smile...

...before she rose her fist, and in a swift movement, punched the glass, its surface splitting into several uneven fragments, her wide, rage-filled eyes reflected on every crack, the unsettling sound of shattering glass crying out across the entire chamber. The moon only looked on, silent as ever, before it disappeared as thick clouds covered its surface.

Ursula only stood there, scowling, before she fell to the ground, hiccuping sobs coming from inside her. All the while, her familiar, Alcor, flew over to her, sympathetically.

* * *

The Santoff Claussen was mainly a busy place, yetis and elves alike scattered everywhere, even while preparing for Christmas at the end of each year. Their leader, Nicholas St. North, or simply 'North' as he preferred to be called, was the Guardian of Wonder. This was not a lie, as he had big blue eyes that saw the wonder in everything.

He was also the person in charge of getting new guardians - at least whenever the Man in the Moon, a mysterious being watching over all of them, chose one. Most recently, he had chosen Jack Frost, the spirit of winter, to become one. He had refused at first, but he had eventually come back to save them all from when Pitch had attacked; and had earned his first few believers in the process.

Their previous encounter had clearly driven the Boogeyman off for weeks, but the moment that he almost jumped out of his skin was when he saw something engulf the large globe in the middle of the workshop: the one that kept track of how many believers there were in the world. But... the atmosphere was cold and shiver-inducing. Not only was nightmare sand swirling around, but... floating cubes?

Horrified but still cautious, he immediately pulled a lever as panicked yetis and elves surrounded him. Colourful lights shone out everywhere, visible from at least every country. In all the panic, he patiently waited for his fellow Guardians; they had to figure out what this threat was.

* * *

"Metamorphie Faciesse!" Akko yelled, transforming into several different forms for a few minutes before reverting back to her normal form.

"Nice one, Akko!" Lotte gave her a thumbs up from where she was standing on the academy grounds. "You've gotten better since last time," she said, glancing at her stopwatch. "That was 20 more seconds you could hold each form than the first time we tried today!"

"It might not be good," said Sucy, who only contented herself with watching all this, before grinning, unusually sharp teeth shimmering in the moonlight.

"Glad to hear it," Akko groaned, still forcing a smile. "Do you mind if we could possibly take a breakkkk..." she trailed off upon gazing at the sky, colourful lights shining all over it from seemingly nowhere. Lotte simply raised an eyebrow, walking over to Akko in concern. "What's wrong, Akko? Are you really _that_ tired?"

"The... the sky..." Akko babbled, the lights reflected in her eyes, a wide grin slowly creeping on her face. Lotte and Sucy exchanged looks as Akko wordlessly pointed upwards, before they turned around, gasping. Indeed, there were colourful lights in the sky, their glow like a beacon of happiness, of _belief_.

"Guys... aren't those the Northern Lights?" Akko cocked her head to one side, recounting one of many history lessons from her time at Luna Nova. "I thought they were really rare..."

"Yes, they are..." Lotte just stood there, dumbfounded. "But if so, why are they _here_ , of all places? It doesn't make any sense at all."

"Maybe it's something to do with all those streams of sand in the sky?" Sucy gave them both a deadpan look, pointing at several streams of beautiful golden sand unlike the night before shining un the sky, before they suddenly disappeared, no trace of them left except a few stars.

Diana Cavendish was just thinking the same thing; as were several students in their dormitories. All the while, her mind raced with questions. What was happening? Why were the Northern Lights here? And could that creature from years ago be something to do with all this?

Some of the professors were looking at it now, one in particular being Croix, whose hands clenched into fists as she watched from the window of her lab. Her shadow from behind suddenly shook, before a tall, slender figure; the one Ursula had seen in her dream appeared beside her; Pitch Black himself.

The both of them just watched the sight for a while, before nodding at each other as they went their separate ways.

The Guardians were being brought together; just as they had both suspected. Only one thought went through their minds right now...

This was going to be fun.


	6. The Message

"Ugh, what are we here for _this_ time?" Jack Frost, the newest Guardian as well as the spirit of winter casually flew in through the window, wondering why the Northern Lights were even going out when he had just been chosen as a Guardian a few months ago. He instantly smiled as he remembered the thought; discovering his center, getting his first believer, and finally seeing his memories; his sister, even.

It felt amazing to be a Guardian - but it hadn't even been three months and they were being called back already? The other Guardians gathered in the workshop, just as confused; this was surprisingly quick: did Pitch attack again?

"What is it? Did Pitch attack again? Is anyone running out of believers? I already have Baby Tooth taking care of my other fairies, but actually, maybe I should go back-" Tooth was just about to leave as quick as she had entered, having been more wary ever since the last time Pitch attacked, but was stopped as a coil of Dreamsand wrapped around her ankle and she was lightly pulled back to the ground by Sandy.

"Sorry for inconvenience, but..." North wordlessly pointed up at the globe, which was now engulfed in black sand swirling around it, several floating cubes zooming around the place. Several yetis and elves were running around the place in fear, and the Guardians were right in the middle of the chaos, confused out of their minds.

"Jeez, Pitch doesn't waste any time making himself known, does he?" Jack stared at the chaos around him, deadpan as ever.

"But... what are those things alongside Pitch's sand?" Tooth motioned at the dark cubes; Croix's Magitech hovering around the place. "Did Pitch... _upgrade_ or something?"

"It doesn't matter," Bunnymund stated, glaring at the sight above him. "What _does_ matter is that it's something new."

"As much as I hate to admit it," Jack resisted the urge to groan at the mere aspect of agreeing with his rival, "He's right."

Sandy glanced at them, then back to the globe, those cubes looking familiar to him; Croix's Magitech, here? He hadn't seen her at all, at least, not since Chariot left.

Before any of them could ask any more questions, the sand and the cubes left the globe (which luckily hadn't been affected) and rose up into the air, merging together and creating a burst of light before the mixture of them fell to the floor, creating a ball of sand and Magitech. The two components clung onto each other before exploding to reveal Pitch... and someone else?

All of the Guardians drew their weapons at the sight of Pitch... but paused upon seeing the person next to him.

The person in question was a woman who seemed to be in her 20s, with lavender hair and green eyes. She wore an elegant outfit with a red cloak wrapped around her neck, and there were patches of grey on her skin; it was impossible to tell if they were burn marks and ash, or something else.

"It...it _actually_ worked..." she smiled, before turning to see the Guardians, Sandy sending her a judgemental glare that she gladly returned.

" _What_ worked?" Bunnymund glared at her, wanting to get right to the point. "Who are you, and what are you even planning?"

"Oh, just another trick we've been perfecting," said Pitch, with a smile. "It's simple; combining our powers to teleport to and fro. It'll certainly help us with the Grand Triskelion, isn't that right, Croix?"

Croix smirked in an almost equal manner as the Guardians watched in terror. The way they talked and casually smiled at each other made them look like old friends; not people who were going to attack you and fill you with terror.

"Grand Triskelion-what do you _even_ want with that?!" Tooth yelled at them, already darting forwards to attack but the two dodged, Pitch disappearing into the shadows and Croix hopping on some of her Magitech, floating out of her reach.

"Grand Triskelion? What's a Grand Triskelion?" Jack asked, not really understanding what they were talking about; seeing as he didn't really take much interest in that sort of thing.

Croix and Pitch only stared at him as if he had grown an extra head - before they laughed mockingly and began to explain.

"It's the one thing that will _finally_ help us finish what we started," Pitch explained, emphasising every word in an almost childish manner.

"Finish what you... started?" Jack muttered to himself, though anyone within earshot could hear it.

Croix only nodded, some of her Magitech hovering around her. "Yes," she replied. "According to history, there was an ancient tree called Yggdrasil that grew from the seed of creation and gave rise to all magic and belief; its branches held the stars and planets in place. However, as less people started believing over time, the tree withered out; its only remains being the Leyline.This was the end of the Great Age of Magic, as well as the Golden Age."

All of the Guardians simultaneously looked down at that, while Sandy was particularly thinking about how it held the stars and planets in place; this wasn't a surprise, as he used to be one.

"But," Croix continued, smirking even more, "The seed of creation still lies somewhere; containing the Grand Triskelion, an ancient artifact that possesses world-altering magic; either to repair this world, destroy it, or tamper with it in any way."

"Tamper with it... then, that means..." Tooth stared down at her hands, horrified.

"You could change _anything_ in this world if you possessed the Grand Triskelion." Pitch nodded, before traversing the room. "Power, destruction, _belief_ -"

"Don't even think about it!" Bunnymund yelled at him, already having one of his boomerangs at the ready. "You're not gonna make us lose believers like last time; because despite everything, you still managed to fail, didn't you?"

They both only glared down at him, before summoning more Magitech and black sand, surrounding them.

"That doesn't matter; what does matter is that you should rethink your choices." Croix crossed her arms, before staring at the moon up above. "And maybe, you'll see the true meaning of all this."

With that, the sand and magitech surrounded them, engulfing them in a beam of light, before it exploded and they were gone. The Guardians watched, stunned, before North spoke again.

"So...what now?"

For perhaps maybe the first time since Easter, they felt hopeless. But they soon got their answer when the moon began to glow...


	7. New Guardian

"What? What's happening?" Jack stepped closer to the Globe, staring at the large skylight where the Man in the Moon shone down on all of them, his light casting shadows everywhere.

"He's choosing a new Guardian," Tooth gasped, almost not believing it herself. "We need help again..."

"Oh." Jack replied, before nearly jumping out of his skin. "Wait, _already?_ I haven't even been a Guardian for 3 months yet and he's already choosing a new one?" He clenched his staff even tighter, almost in fear of what was to come.

"Don't be so afraid, Jack," Tooth turned to him, arms folded. "It could be anyone. And besides, you won't be forgotten; you're not gonna lose any believers."

"I literally didn't have any believers for 300 years." Jack deadpanned. "Heck, you lost yours in almost a night; Pitch and that... _Croix_ person could literally take them away at any moment! We don't even know what we're dealing with; that woman has technology we don't understand!"

Tooth stood there for a moment, before clearing her throat and staring up at the moon, trying to take everyone's minds off what happened last time. "W-Well, that doesn't matter. What _does_ matter is that you're a Guardian and that we all care about you just as we will with this one; and we won't let anything like that happen again; we'll protect Sandy as well."

"Ah," North paused for a moment, staring at the small man, before nodding with a smile. "Yes."

They all watched as the moonlight shifted to a large crystal, a large beam of light reflecting from it, desperation, fear and a little bit of doubt in their eyes. Without hesitation, it began shifting and swirling into the figure of a woman holding a staff with a witch's hat, before shifting to another figure that looked like a witch, a professor perhaps, with long hair and a large broom with a crescent-like bend on the handle.

"Shiny Chariot," North whispered, amazed.

"Who?" Jack asked, not quite hearing this himself.

"Shiny Chariot!" he grinned, putting his hands on his hips. "She was one of first Guardians besides Sandy, you know."

Everyone instantly looked at the Sandman, as if to confirm this. Sandy in question only nodded with a smile, remembering his old friend. Jack however, was more intrigued about the other figure that came after Chariot.

"Wait, wait, no, you _can't_ be serious-" Bunnymund stared up at the figure with an accusing look, before turning to all of them, his eyes wide. "You're not telling me he's choosing _her_ , of all people?!"

"What are you so worried for?" North just smiled, as if nothing was wrong.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me, North," Bunnymund kept staring at the figure, then at the Man in the Moon, and back to the jolly man in front of him. "You _do_ realise that she bloody stole magic from _innocent_ children, right? That's, thats literally the polar opposite of what a Guardian does!"

"She did WHAT?!" Jack yelled, staring at the two in disbelief. "I mean, I know I can get irresponsible sometimes, but... she STEALS magic and joy from children and that's just all fine and dandy?!"

"Oh, you have no idea, mate," Bunnymund nodded, "And while we're at it, have ya ever wondered why the Man in the Moon has that _huge, star-shaped mark_ inside of it?"

"W-Well, that wasn't exactly... _her_ fault, per se..." Tooth hovered nervously between them, not wanting this situation to escalate into dark territory. "You see, it was actually Cro-"

"Yep, you guessed it, she _caused_ that." Bunnymund nodded, pure hatred dripping in his voice. "The sheila had a nervous breakdown after using her powers to steal that magic in the first place and gave Manny that large crater right there as a 'gift'."

"T-Then why is he even choosing her again? And who was that person after her?!" he practically yelled in Tooth's face, much to her dismay.

Sandy answered the question for her by putting up some symbols made of sand above his head; a figure of Shiny Chariot, an equals sign, then a figure of the other witch.

 _They're the same person._

"T-They're the _same_ person?!" Jack screamed even louder, before Tooth put a hand on his shoulder and grimaced, as if _begging_ for him to stop. "What else? Does she go by a different name now?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact." North replied, stroking his beard. "Ursula Callistis."

"No surprise there, then," Bunnymund shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not even bringing her here if it's the last thing I do."

"Well, maybe Jack can do it this time," Tooth put a hand on his shoulder with a welcoming smile.

"What?" he jumped in shock, staring at the hummingbird hybrid. "Why me? I don't even want to-"

"Just think of it as revenge for when Bunny put you in the sack last time." She grinned, giving him a thumbs up. That seemed to do the trick, for a smirk spread over his face and he nodded at her. "It's not exactly direct, but it's something to take your frustration out on. Just...try not to hurt her, okay?"

Jack nodded as North wordlessly handed him a snow globe, and two yetis appeared at either side of him as he whispered to it. "Alright, then."

"Luna Nova."

* * *

Ursula walked around the school grounds, several people staying in their dormitories and offices, as the moon glimmered in the night sky. She had nothing to do today; it was rare for her to not get much work, but she was glad, because she needed a rest; all the things that had been bothering her were getting annoying, but she still needed to find a way to stop Croix and Pitch before it was too late.

However, what she didn't know was that a couple of students had snuck out of their dormitories; Akko and her friends, having gone on a search for the legendary Sandman. Ironically, there seemed to be no signs of any golden sand in the sky; no matter how many laps they went around the perimeter of Luna Nova.

"Are you sure he's gonna be here at this time?" Amanda sighed, looking around the place. "We've been going around here for ages, and there's not any sand in sight, so..."

"C'mon, you guys!" Akko ignored her, staring into the sky, the moon shining down on all of them, that mysterious star-shaped mark leaving a chilling feeling in the atmosphere. "Just believe in yourselves - we can't give up now!"

"But...but we might get into trouble if we stay out here any longer..." Lotte shivered in front of her, the cold being especially harsh that night. "I think that I might _freeze to death_ if we stay out here any longer! Ah, jeez, I should have brought a coat..."

"If we're gonna prove to the world that the Sandman is real, then it'll all be worth it if we almost freeze to death trying." Akko kept searching around the place. "Everyone will see how important they are! And belief is your magic!"

"Remind me why I ever agreed to come with you..." Sucy sighed, already fed up of this.

"Because we're the only ones who'll accept you in our friend circle. Thanks for keeping it real, Sucy." Akko smiled at her, before turning back around to search some more.

Meanwhile, Ursula wandered aimlessly around the gardens, still thinking about that terrible dream she had and the fact that Manny and Sandy didn't even talk to her anymore. For the first time, she felt hopeless; she was powerless to do anything to stop them, and Akko hadn't even unlocked all the words yet. What would happen next? What could she do to stop this?

She was just pondering this when a gust of wind went past her; normally she would brush it off but it almost felt unnatural; as if something, or _someone_ was there.

Intrigued by the sudden cold feeling, she followed the direction of it, only to hear another sound behind her. She whipped round, surveying the area around her... before a teenager stepped out into the open, with white hair, pale skin, blue eyes that chilled you to the core like ice, a blue hoodie, and no shoes. Gripped in his hand was a staff that had worn over time.

Then, she remembered back to one of the times Akko had told her about myths; of a boy who could cause winter anywhere he went, and how he had a magical staff that looked like it was from old times.

 _Jack Frost._

"J-Jack Frost?" she stared at the boy in front of her, who looked surprised for a second. He stepped closer a little, dumbfounded.

"Wait... you can see me?" he asked on instinct, not believing it himself. "Can you hear me? Do you know what I just said?"

"Yes, of course... so you're the one who makes snow?"

"Yeah!" he grinned, before remembering what he was here to do. "But anyway, you have to come with me as soon as possible; it's important, and I know it might seem weird at first, but everyone is depending on you, _Chariot_. "

"H-Huh?" Ursula stopped smiling for a moment, blinking in surprise. She had only just met this boy, and now he was asking her to go somewhere? They hadn't even seen each other for five seconds yet, and he knew her real name and who she had been before? Manny hadn't even bothered to talk to her, and now he just came in out of nowhere? "How did you...but _where?_ I mean, I'm a professor at Luna Nova, how will I tell Akko and the others, Manny didn't even _bother_ to talk to me-"

"I know how you feel... but the point is, you need to come with me to the North Pole. Now." Jack spoke bluntly, his eyes becoming hollow as the first few words.

"I... I'm sorry, but I can't... you've probably got the wrong person, and I wasn't even told of this whatsoever, so..." Ursula stepped back a little, glancing downwards. Jack only stood there, before smirking.

"It doesn't matter," he said. " _You_ _don't have a choice._ "

"What?" Ursula asked, but before she could say anything, two yetis appeared behind her; crushing her in their grip. Forcing herself to get over the shock, she pulled out her wand. "Metamorphie Faciesse!" she cried, transforming into a bluebird and flying out of their hands, transforming back and bolting from the scene.

Jack immediately gave chase, the yetis in pursuit, while Ursula immediately ran across the school grounds, blasts of magic from both sides casting light that could be seen from up above...and that included Akko and her friends, who witnessed a large blast of light overcoming the school grounds.

"Professor Ursula?" Akko gasped, staring at the professor down below. "We have to get down there!" she cried, Lotte nodding nervously and flying down to where the fight was happening; her friends in full pursuit, until a familiar voice came from behind them.

"Akko."

"Diana?!" They all turned to see the young Cavendish on her broom, a stern expression on her face as she glared at all of them. "It's not what it looks like, I promi-"

"What are you doing here?" Diana flew closer to them, having witnessed the girls sneak out to pursue their so-called myths. "It's against the rules to be out here at night; you should be in your dormitory! And what's even _happening_ down there?" She stared downwards, her anger fading into shock, where she could make out Ursula and another person in intense battle.

"It doesn't matter!" Akko cried, still staring at them with determination, "We have to get down there immediately!"

"How...many...times...do I need to tell you?" Ursula yelled, letting out another burst of magic. "I won't come with you to your _stupid_ fortress; I'm useless, so just leave me be!" She fired another blast of light, creating a large smokescreen which she used to quickly get away, until she saw Akko, Diana and the others land near her. Without hesitation, she ran over to them, panting from the exhaustion.

"Akko! Why are you even out here, I-" She cried, before sighing and starting again. "It doesn't matter. Listen, all of you, I know this might seem crazy but these people want to take me to the North Pole, and I'm not sure if I can hold them off any longer."

"T-The North Pole?" Jasminka actually opened her eyes, shocked at this revelation. "But how, that's impossible-"

"I know, it's confusing, but Akko, if they _do_ end up taking me away, I need you to use Shiny Arc to get to the North Pole."

"How do _you_ even know about Shiny Arc?" Diana asked, and for a moment she could see some guilt and regret flash across the woman's face, before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"That doesn't matter," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Just stay a safe distance, alright?"

"HEY!" Jack's voice rang out, and they all turned to him. Ursula ran offthe second she saw him with the yetis, and pulled out her wand once more.

"What the _heck_ are those things?" Lotte asked, more panicked upon seeing the giant beings alongside the teenager. Akko, however, only stared at them in wonder and amazement.

"Things that shouldn't exist in the first place." Diana remarked. Constanze only readied her gun, while Jasminka stood behind her, pulling out her wand as well.

At once, the three beings ran towards Ursula, who immediately started firing magical blasts at them. Akko, Diana and the others tried to attack them, but were only thrown and pushed away, as Jack was too caught up in the fight to notice that they could see him at all. All the while, both sides were getting more tired, wondering when their opponents would stop so they could get this over with.

Finally, Ursula had fired another strong blast at Jack, stunning everyone in the process with a blinding light, causing them to shield their eyes, luckily not noticing her hair turning back to its original red. Everyone stood there, almost being blown away by the blast, before Ursula's hair turned blue again and she fell to the ground. Slowly, she got up, wondering when all this would end.

Breathing heavily, she turned to one of the yetis nearby. Unbeknownst to her, Jack, who had quickly come out of his stunned state was creeping up behind her, ready to knock her out, charging his staff up with ice and energy; he was just about ready to end this once and for all.

Akko, who was sprawled on the floor, the others being too tired or knocked out, noticed this, and gasped, helpless to do anything as panic rushed through her body.

"PROFESSOR URSULA, WATCH OUT!"

Ursula barely had a second to react before Jack's staff hit her in the head, a single burst of frost and ice going through her mind before she fell to the ground, unconscious. Relieved but almost terrified of what she had been capable of, Jack watched as the yetis stuffed her into a sack, Akko and the others helpless to watch as they disappeared into a portal, no trace of them ever having been there left except a few sparks of light.

"You guys, they took Professor Ursula!" Akko cried, as the others slowly got up from their positions on the floor.

"Yeah, we noticed," Amanda held her ribs in pain, before her eyes widened. "Wait, did they _actually_ take her to the North Pole?"

"If we trust what Professor Ursula said, then yes," Diana sighed, staring at where they had just been with a passive look on her face, before turning back to them determinedly.. "But that doesn't matter now; we have to find her."

"But what were those things?" said Lotte, examining her glasses to make sure they weren't cracked, before putting them back on. "They only seem like they would exist in myths."

"It doesn't matter, we have to get Professor Ursula back!" Akko said determinedly, Constanze nodding beside her. "She could be _anywhere_ right now!"

"But how are we supposed to even find the right place?" Amanda said, confused. "I know that we can use Shiny Arc or whatever, but how will we even find where they took her?"

"Amanda, it's the _North Pole_." Sucy stared at her nonchalantly. "I'm sure some big, terrifying building or fortress would stand out pretty easily."

"I think Lotte should probably get a jacket first..." said Jasminka, nervously staring at the shivering blonde.

Regardless, Akko only glanced at the magnificent Shiny Rod in her hands., before smirking. "Alright, then... let's do this." And without hesitation, she pointed the Shiny Rod at a random area on the grass.

"NOCTU ORFEI AUDE FRAETOR!" She yelled, the staff easily morphing and changing into a grand, articulate bow. "Shiny..." she drew a magical arrow back as the others watched in awe, "ARC!" Releasing it, she watched as it glowed and flew to the space, before turning into a huge portal.

"Now's our chance!" She cried, the others pausing before hurrying after her in excitement, determination and fear for what was to come. And maybe, along the way, they'd find out about something bigger...


	8. Rise of a New Team

Back in North's workshop, the Guardians were still waiting for Jack's arrival, still staring up at the globe.

"For everything she's done, she'd _better_ be worth it," Bunnymund groaned, still outraged by the fact that this woman had stolen magic and yet the Man in the Moon had chosen her. "I still can't believe Manny would trust someone like her..."

"Sometimes it's... _hard_ to understand why Manny makes the choices he does, and sometimes we might not agree with them." Tooth stared at him, nervously trying to reassure him. "But I'm sure we can still trust her; if she's willing to fix her mistakes, then it's a start."

"She is right," North nodded, still staring at the lights. "If she's willing to pay for the things she's done wrong... then it's okay."

"But still, are you _really_ sure we can trust her?" Bunnymund stared at the two of them, before pacing around the room in nervousness. "I mean, she could bloody _betray_ us, for all we know! We can't just let her run around free like that - we can't just let her go off to, to _steal_ more magic and then mope about it!"

"We trusted Jack," was all North said, the room being silent for a while before Tooth _burst_ into nervous laughter, shaking so hard she was unable to breathe. The truth was that she was glad Jack wasn't here to hear that; otherwise things might have took a turn for the worse.

"W-What even...oh my _goodness_ , North, we, we _trusted_ Jack, oh my goodness..." Tooth had to bend down to keep herself from collapsing altogether, the entire concept of what North had just said hitting her like a bullet. "T-Trusted...Jack..."

Sandy only glanced up at the moon, wondering what it would be like to see his old friend after so many years...did she hate him now? Did she think he hated her? Would she really have changed after all this time?

He was just thinking this when a winding portal opened up, Jack and the yetis stepping out of it. Strangely enough, they were covered in ash and burn marks, leaving the rest of the Guardians to wonder just _what_ had happened the entire time they were gone.

"Did...did you get her, then?" Tooth asked, still recovering from the huge amount of laughter that had just escaped her, before pausing. "...she put up a fight, didn't she?"

"No kidding," Jack replied, unamused as the yetis emptied the sack, Ursula's body crashing onto the wooden floor. "She's so powerful that it's like nothing changed over all those years."

Shaken out of her unconsciousness, Ursula slowly began to pick herself up off the ground, adjusting her glasses as the Guardians stood before her.

"For...the last time...I never wanted to do this..." she groaned, standing up to see the Guardians in their glory. Bunnymund looked like he would rather be anywhere else, Tooth was giving her a smile but still had a cautious look in her eyes, Jack was glaring at her and rubbing the burn marks on his body, and Sandy looked nervous to see the one person he hadn't in ages. In actuality, North seemed to be the only one who was smiling.

"Ah! Welcome, Chariot!" He grinned, but still kept his distance. "It's nice to see that you've been doing well-"

"You don't have to act nice." Ursula just stood there, her opaque glasses hiding her eyes so that nobody could see what emotion she was feeling. "Just get it over with. If I was brought here to be punished by the Man in the Moon..." she glanced at Sandy, her face unreadable for a moment. "Then go ahead. Leave me in the void. Leave me with Pitch, for all you care. Just leave me be."

North was still smiling, the room silent as they all took those words in, before Bunnymund spoke up, shocking everyone as he did so.

"Are you trying to guilt-trip us? Because it sure as hell isn't working," he said, Ursula only staring up at him as he got closer. "Look, I don't even know why Manny thinks we need any help, by you no less, but I'll tell ya this-"

Ursula kept standing there, rooted to the spot.

"If you even dare to betray us, or use this as an opportunity to steal more magic, then you _deserve_ all those things you just described."

"That...that wasn't my fault. I didn't know the effects of Dream Fuel Spirit, I-"

"And yet you still went through with it. You didn't even bother to check the bloody spell or at least check what its effects were-"

"I know that. But I swore never to use it again - I never used it at any show after that, and I don't plan to here." Ursula continued, taking off her glasses, fiddling with them in her hands before putting them back on. "I want to pay for my mistakes this time...I won't let something like that happen again. And if the Man in the Moon still wants to punish me, then I'll let him."

The Guardians were silent at that, lookingat each other, then to the Man in the Moon. The moon only seemed to glow brighter, with happiness, acceptance and... _trust_. Satisfied, they turned back to Ursula, finally trusting her as well.

"Well, that's good enough for me," Jack said, lessening the tight grip on his staff.

"He is right," North grinned, before getting to the task at hand. "To stop Croix and Pitch from getting Grand Triskelion, we will need the Shiny Rod."

Ursula smiled at that - before her eyes widened and she became more silent. The Guardians noticed this, nervous expressions coming over their faces as well.

"You...you _do_ have the Shiny Rod, right?" Tooth asked, her feathers flaring up a little.

"Um...not...not really..." Ursula just stood there awkwardly, and the Guardians simultaneously let out groans at that.

"Alright, that's it. We're doomed, Pitch won, we're dead, nice knowing you, sayonara, bye bye." Jack had already flown up to the window, everyone else calling out after him until Ursula spoke up again.

"Wait, wait, you didn't let me finish." Ursula frantically waved her hands to stop them, before carrying on. "The problem is, when Manny took my powers away from me, the Shiny Rod withered away in my hands, and I had to become a teacher at Luna Nova. And while I teach at Luna Nova, I'm a mentor for this student named Akko Kagari...and _she_ somehow managed to unlock the Shiny Rod. So right now, _she_ has it."

"She...unlocked the Shiny Rod? But...but Manny never told us about that!" Tooth objected, everyone having similar shocked looks on their faces. "Did...did _you_ know about this?"

"Manny never really talked to me for all those years," Ursula shrugged. "I thought you would know that."

"But...we didn't! Manny never told us anything! I mean, we've been Guardians for so long, he wouldn't have any reason to... _hide_ something from us, would he..." Tooth became more thoughtful, pondering this concept. Everyone stared at the moon up above for an answer, but it was still silent... maybe something _was_ wrong.

"He hid my memories from me for 300 years, up until now," Jack spoke up, bringing their attention to him. "So, he's gotta have a reason for it."

"That, that doesn't matter," Bunnymund stated, snapping them out of it. "All we need to do is go to the sheila's house, get her and bring her here, and we're done!"

"Alright," North nodded at all of them, already strolling in a different direction. "Everyone, to the _sleigh_ -" He was interrupted as a loud _crash_ rang out, startling everyone in the room. They barely had time to ask or process this, when a yeti burst through the door, yelling something panickedly in its language.

"What...?" North asked, before his eyes widened and he rushed out the door, everyone running after him as he raced into an elevator.

The elevator ride was short and sweet as they went down into the depths. North was completely silent for the entire ride, not even explaining the situation to anyone, and the yeti was pointless because nobody could understand it. Suspense loomed in the atmosphere, everyone nervous as they got closer...

...and when they arrived at their destination, they saw just what the problem was.

Yetis and elves were running away from blasts of light and magic, the few brave ones sheltering countless toys and gifts from the rain of attacks that fell on them. The room was chaos, and not the good kind... and what were they even running from? Nine teenage girls.

Nine teenage girls were in the middle of the chaos, blasting flashes of light and different magical attacks. But what was even stranger was that one of them, a brunette girl with her hair tied into a ponytail, was holding the prized Shiny Rod they had been looking for.

"Crikey, who in the world are _they_?" Bunnymund cried, amazed and frightened at the same time.

"That would be Akko and her friends," said Ursula, shocked at all the commotion they were making, before looking at the Guardians. "I _wonder_ what they're here for..."

And then, as if on cue, the brunette girl (presumably Akko) turned around to see the Guardians and Ursula standing there. Recognising Jack, she gasped and readied the Shiny Rod to attack. "Professor Ursula! Don't worry, we'll save you!"

The other girls turned around, peeved, and immediately readied their weapons to attack, the Guardians readying theirs as well.

"Whoa, whoa, don't _hurt_ them!" Ursula called out after them, but was unheard as both sides let out their loudest battle cries.

The sides charged at each other, Akko, Diana and all their friends getting ready to attack before Diana suddenly felt something familiar as they ran at them...her eyes fell on Bunnymund, and for some reason she remembered and felt something from long ago...

Bunnymund, however, stared at Diana in shock, remembering something from years ago... back to one _particular_ Easter...

Still, the sides readied blasts of magic, ice and fire - but were stopped right in their tracks as two voices rang out, clear as day.

"WAIT!"

Both sides immediately stopped, just about 3 feet away from each other, the chaos coming to a crashing halt as everyone heard the sound.

"D...Diana?" Akko stuttered, turning around to see the young Cavendish with a strange expression on her face, slowly lowering her wand.

"Bunny?" Jack stared at the Guardian of Hope beside him, the latter speechless with that same, strange expression. "Is...is something wrong?"

The room was silent as Bunnymund and Diana stepped closer to each other, staring and remembering events from long ago, of grief and happiness and hope and belief mixed together.

"It..." they both said quietly, before they got even more surprised. "It's _you_!"

"W... _What_?" Amanda stared at the two of them in shock, as did everyone else. "Wait, wait, don't tell me that you've _met_ one of these guys before? And of all the people, it just _had_ to be the giant kangaroo?"

"Excuse me?" Bunnymund snapped out of his trance, anger surging through him. Diana stiffened at that; she recognised his voice.

"I...I _like_ this kid!" Jack beamed, resisting the urge to let out extremely loud laughter. "See, even the _kids_ think you're a..." he was laughing so hard he couldn't even finish the sentence, bending over to stop himself as North, Tooth and Sandy just stared at him, bewildered.

"W-Wait, how do you guys even know each other?" Lotte stared at the two of them, both stiffening as they felt all eyes on them.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'd like to know that too..." said Jack, the two remembering past experiences that pained them to even think about, getting more nervous as they were practically backed into a corner, before Akko decided to get to the point.

"You guys...give Professor Ursula back!" She pointed the Shiny Rod at them 'majestically', but it only made her look even more awkward. Despite this, Diana and Bunnymund both let out the breaths they were holding, Diana mouthing a ' _thank you_ ' to the girl.

"Wait, wait, Akko, it's okay," Ursula tried to reassure her, "They just brought me here because I...um..."

"Because she has some _information_ we can use about Shiny Chariot," Tooth sheepishly answered the question for her, nervously glancing at North for directions. "We're...we're trying to find her, because she has something important to do with the fate of the world and everyone on it, and so do _you_ , Akko."

" _Find her_? Mate, she's-" Bunnymund was stopped as Tooth rapidly shook her head, gesturing subtly for him to keep his mouh shut. Diana, however, was the only one to notice this.

"Wait, you're trying to find _Shiny Chariot_ too?" Akko beamed, walking over as she got ready to rant about her idol yet again. "Because I'm trying to unlock the Words so I can find her and I'm really, really, _really_ close, and she's been my idol since I was little and...wait, _me_?"

"Yes, Akko," said Ursula, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders. "There's something big coming, and you've been unlocking the words of Arcturus, right?"

"Wait, so Shiny Chariot has something to do with the fate of the world? And...the Grand Triskelion..." said Akko, finally understanding. Ursula stared at her, the girl with so much _belief_ in her eyes, reminding her of when she was young. She had to tell her when the time was right. "So...so the fate of the world is depending on me?"

"Not just you," Tooth stated, smiling down at her, "But Ursula and Chariot as well; they both have great amounts of belief, and so do you."

"Wait...then what about _us_?" Amanda butted in, immensely disappointed. "We're not just gonna stand here or go home while Akko and you guys have some...some _crazy adventure_ and leave us out of it! What do you think we even came here for?"

The Guardians just stared at her, North debating whether to ask Sandy to knock the rest of them out, as she continued regardless.

"What about everything we came here for? Sure, Akko might have the Shiny Rod and all, but what's even causing this? Why do we have to stay back at Luna Nova and pretend this never happened?" She yelled, pure determination sparking in her eyes as the workshop looked on in stunned silence. "I want to take risks too - I want to prove that I'm not a coward! If there's some big destiny or fate that we're missing, then you can't just expect us to stand here and take it! Akko's our friend...can't we at least stay by her side?"

Bunnymund only glanced between North, who had a big smile on his face, and Tooth, who looked like she would cry tears of joy if this went on any longer. Jack, however, only stood there, feeling a spark of determination rise up inside him too... and with that, they all stared at the moon through the window. It only glowed even brighter, happiness and belief in the atmosphere.

Ursula stared around the room; at the Guardians before her, the new wielder of the Shiny Rod, and the girls who would do anything to support their friends. Finally, Sandy walked up to her, giving a smile of reassurance. She hesitated at that for a while, before smiling back at her old friend, knowing they had loads of catching up to do.

"A-Alright, then," Ursula nodded, before realising what she had to tell them. "The people who caused all this...the person who we have to stop...it's _Croix_."

"Wha... _what_?" Akko gasped, the others letting out gasps of horror and shock. "But...but she's a great person! She has loads of technology and stuff...she even wanted to improve the world of magic, just like _Chariot_ did!"

"I know it's a lot to take in, Akko...but there are some things you don't know about her." Ursula put her hands on her shoulders, her expression serious but sorrowful. "Instead of wanting to improve the world of magic, she wants to _destroy_ it...changing the world with the Grand Triskelion so that certain things can't exist, like belief and prosperity. And the person she's working with..." The woman grimaced at the mere thought of Pitch, the Guardians only glancing down.

"The Grand Triskelion...that's why you told her to unlock the Words," Diana realised, finally getting it now. "So you knew this all along?"

"It was only a few days ago that I found out that she was working with someone else," Ursula crossed her arms, before shaking her head. "But that doesn't matter now. She has to be stopped."

Akko stared at her hands for a while, before clenching them into fists and giving them all a smile. "Yeah...we need to stop her...or at least reason with her. But anyway, we can do this! For the world of magic!"

"Very well," Ursula stared at all of them with a smile, before becoming more determined. "Let's do this."


	9. Belief Combined

"Wait, so _you're_ the ones who protect all the children and stuff?" Akko stared at all of the Guardians in surprise as they walked through North's factory, ready to track Croix down at any moment: her friends and Ursula trailing behind.

"Well...yeah," Tooth replied, still wondering what to make of the past events. "We all each protect a certain value - a _Center_. For example, mine is Memories. My fairies and I store the memories in teeth, and then when people need to remember something important, we help them to do so."

"Ah, I get it..." Akko looked deep in thought, before gasping. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Did...did _Chariot_ have one too?"

"Of course she did," Tooth nodded, although Ursula looked away at this. "Hers was _Belief_...she did use to say that Belief is your magic, after all. And besides, you all seem to believe in us very much. I'm actually surprised you can still see us at this age..."

"Yeah...I'm especially surprised that _you_ , of all people, still believe in us too..." Bunnymund remarked, making everyone except Ursula and the rest of the Guardians confused.

"S-See you?" Diana stuttered, not even knowing what he had just said. "What do you mean, 'still see us'? You're right in front of us! Anyone can see that!"

"No, no...it's just that...you can only see us if you actually believe in us," Tooth said, a little nervously as everyone's eyes widened. The girls all then turned to stare at Diana, as if those words were bullets. The room was silent for a while, and Diana's face turned red as everyone stared at her in shock, several memories from years past rising up...until Akko gasped, stars in her eyes.

"U-uh...you know what, maybe I'm just hallucinating," Diana laughed nervously, stepping back as she felt all eyes on her. "I mean, I d-don't s-still believe in those things, right? I don't...uh..."

"You...you _do_ believe in them!" she cried, practically bouncing on her heels and hugging the girl so tight she was about to explode. "You actually do believe in them, there's no need to be ashamed, Diana!"

"I-I...that's not important right now." The young Cavendish looked away as she was the center of attention, her face red as a beet.

"But it is, Diana! You really don't need to be embarrassed, and...wait, is that why you froze up earlier?"

"F-Froze up?" Diana asked, not really understanding anything right now. The Guardians stopped mid-walk, paying attention to this as Akko continued. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, I mean, when I was talking about the things I believed in earlier, you froze up when I mentioned..." She trailed off, before her eyes widened, staring at Bunnymund and then back to Diana, this mysterious backstory or friendship between them that neither of them wanted to share rising up again inside her. Diana seemed to get what she was talking about too, and she hastily shook her head. "...the...never mind."

Ursula, feeling the tension in the air rise, the two people in question freezing up again, stepped in. "That doesn't matter. Croix and Pitch are still out there, and they're absorbing energy. We need to get the Grand Triskelion before they do..." she paused, some memories rising up, before she pushed them back. "...and find Chariot."

"She is right," North replied, reminding them of the task at hand. "We just need to find them..."

"Well, if they're absorbing negative energy and emotions..." Amanda put her hands on her hips as she thought, "...then maybe they're in town somewhere? There _is_ a lot of rioting going on, and some people think it's rigged...I mean, we can see Croix perfectly, and she's super talented at tech and stuff, so maybe _she_ was behind it?"

Everyone took a moment to process this, before North nodded, his eyes stern and serious. "Right. Then let's get started. Everyone, to the sleigh!"

* * *

"Okay, there's no way _all of us_ can fit on that thing."

The odd group of witches and Guardians stared at the sleigh, which clearly had just enough room for North, a few giant sacks and supplies, and the rest of the Guardians. And it certainly wasn't designed for situations like this, with more than enough people.

"Alright, someone's gonna have to get off." Jack stated, leaning back in his seat. "But it's not me, that's for sure."

"Jack, you can already fly," Ursula folded her arms in annoyance as she stared at him. "If you can spread winter across the entire world that fast, then I'm sure you can give up one seat."

"Well, technically, three of us can fly. North and Bunny can't, though." Tooth piped up, already getting ready to fly away. "And I'm sure you can use your brooms..."

"Are there even any Leyline entrances here?" Lotte squinted at the sky, nothing but snow and clouds ahead of her. "I mean, this _is_ pretty far..."

"But why does Akko even need to come on the bloody sleigh, anyway? Doesn't she have a broom, too?" Bunnymund stared at the girl in question, who only gripped her arm tightly and looked away.

"About that..." Ursula looked away as well, not wanting Akko to be teased any longer. "She can't ride a broom; it doesn't work for her...for _some reason_." Bunnymund only stared at her and her guilty face, then back to Akko, who only shrugged. Hearing that made him want to make another remark about 'Dream Fuel Spirit', but then he remembered he was supposed to stay quiet and promptly shut up.

"I knew we should have never flown with 'Guardians Airlines', over here," Amanda groaned, already getting tired of this. "I mean, Croix could be stealing all the world's magic in the time it takes us to board some stupid sleigh-"

"Amanda, you shouldn't say that right in front of the person who owns it! Who knows, maybe you'll be put on the Naughty List!" Akko whisper-yelled in the girl's face, to which she only made a deadpan face. "Besides, we'll get to the adventure stuff soon, so be patient!"

"No worries," North said casually, before his expression darkened a little. "She _already_ holds record."

"O-Okay then: why don't we just, take the people who can fly-" Amanda kept going regardless, "And let them get off and fly there themselves. Akko, you can make portals with Shiny Arc, right? So just shoot the portal thingies and we get the heck out of here, okay? Does that sound right to you?"

Everyone was silent at what the teenager had just proposed, before Jack got off the sleigh with a groan. "Fine. I was really looking forward to going on it again, though..."

"Alright then, Shiny Arc it is!" Akko said with much more enthusiasm, before holding the Shiny Rod out in front of her. "Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor! Shiny..." she drew an arrow of light back, before releasing it. " _ARC_!" The arrow flew just a few feet away, forming a large, bright green Leyline portal that seemed to go on for ages.

"Thanks, Akko," Sucy nodded at her as the girl got into the sleigh, pumped already despite everything she had learned about Croix's true motives. "See you in town, then." With that, she, Diana, Amanda, Jasminka, and Constanze set off into it, leaving Lotte, Akko and Ursula to board the sleigh with North and Bunnymund. Tooth flew off at high speed, Sandy and Jack following her after a quick goodbye, and that was that. Ursula only hoped they would get there in time to stop them...and she hoped she could tell Akko when the time was right.

* * *

The night sky loomed above the streets...and yet that wasn't enough to stop the citizens, who had been keeping up this riot for days. A large billboard displaying the news of other riots across the world only seemed to rile them up more. In a sense, Croix and Pitch had actually planned this out - a constant amount of fear and negative emotions from across the world...and yet, though it was subtle, the Guardians could slowly feel themselves getting weaker. The shouting and yelling was so deafening that almost nothing could be heard over it...and that was why it seemed the perfect place to watch and have a battle, undisturbed.

No more than a few minutes after they had left, a green portal opened on a rooftop, Sucy, Amanda, Jasminka, Diana and Constanze flew out of it, the portal closing behind them. Getting off their brooms, they observed the area, their attention going down to the intense riots and fighting down below.

"Wow...they're still going at it, huh?" Amanda stared at the scene in awe, as the other witches walked up beside her.

"It's no surprise that they'd start here first." Diana remarked, staring down at the people who were currently tapping on some sort of app, a red circle and some numbers on it; little did they know, this was not just for _stress relief_ : it was actually the main mechanism that was feeding their energy right to Croix and Pitch, and they were probably relishing in it. "There's so much hatred and anger...it's literally the perfect place to look for power. Not to mention this riot's been going on for days."

"But where are they?" Jasminka looked around from the rooftop, not seeing Croix or anyone else in sight while she munched on some of her snacks. "Should we just wait for the others, or..."

"Hmm...maybe," Diana said, still looking around before she prepared to get on her broom again. "I just have no idea how we'll explain this to Luna Nova..." Constanze only nodded, before staring up in surprise as another portal appeared in the sky, the others noticing it and immediately fly over, as the sleigh flew out. Akko was leaning over the side with amazement, Ursula watching her with caution as to not let her fall, while Lotte sat next to Bunnymund, both scared out of their wits at North's reckless driving, which he seemed to be unaware of as he grinned in the front seat.

Upon seeing the five witches, Akko immediately leaned over further, waving quickly with a huge smile on her face as Ursula tried to keep her from falling over the side. "HI, GUYS!"

"Oh, that was _disorientating_..." Lotte leaned back with a gasp for air, clutching her chest as if she had just experienced a heart attack. In fact, she was surprised she hadn't, as the sleigh was going so fast she felt like she was about to be sick if this kept on any longer.

"Hi, Akko!" Jasminka waved back, pleased to see her friend, before she realised that they were missing some people. "Wait, where's-"  
"We're here!"

All of them looked up to see Tooth, Jack and Sandy flying down to them, the group back together again.

"Okay, we're all here, so where are they..." Akko stroked her chin in deep thought, before gasping as she got an idea. "Maybe we should check all the way up there? I mean, if I was someone who was going to steal magic... I wouldn't do it where everyone can see me, right?"

"Nobody can see Pitch anyway," Ursula stated, slightly deadpan, before her expression became one of fear. "Unless you _believe_... but it's worth a shot." Holding back her fear for now, she nodded at Akko, who could only stare up at the sky as they all rose into the clouds. Everyone was silent as they went higher and higher, looking for both of them all the while, the lights of the city fading a little. They couldn't see Pitch or Croix... until some cubes flew past, everyone staring at them in shock as a bigger machine floated a few miles away from them, before the cubes let out huge beams of light and in a flash, the people who they had been looking for were there, standing on the bigger piece of machinery: an electronic broom of some kind.

 _Show-offs,_ Ursula thought upon seeing their little 'magic trick' for the first time.

" _Croix_ ," Ursula called out to them, her glare burning into their souls, but they only just smiled back at her.

" _Ursula_ ," Croix said back, squinting at Akko and the others who immediately took defensive stances. "It's just as I expected; the Guardians would show up, and I assume you already told Akko the truth... but...why are you still with them? Why would they even want you to help them after-"

"The Man in the Moon told them, _alright_?" Ursula yelled at her, her voice incredibly harsh; a side Akko had never seen before. "But that doesn't matter. We're here to stop you, so just give up already; I know that you both want to use magic, but this isn't the right way."

"Uh, y-yeah! You shouldn't keep taking magic from people like that! And besides, what do you even want from this?" Akko decided to speak up this time, her voice ringing out clear in the darkness. "I thought you were a _good person_ , Croix! W-Why would you _even_ do this? A-and you! Why are you even doing this as well?" She pointed at Pitch, instantly regretting it as she crumbled under his gaze.

"...There's a lot of things you don't understand about all this," Pitch replied, cryptic as ever, though all the Guardians knew what he was talking about, especially Jack, who just turned away. "Imagine never being seen, or wanted your whole life...in favour of someone else. In favour of someone who doesn't _deserve_ to even have their title...but we're not just working together for the same reasons. Croix just wants to improve the world of magic, but in a sense, that's really strange coming from you, _Ursula_." He stared at Akko in particular, not wanting to reveal Ursula's secret just yet.

"Is...is _that_ what this is all about?" Akko questioned, not noticing this, before she yelled even louder, everyone watching in shock as she did so. "Just wanting to be seen? Maybe everyone can see you! It's just that you're too afraid to realise it. Have you ever thought about that? A-and, there are other ways to improve the magic world! I know that there's a good person inside of both of you!"

Pitch only stared at her, surprised, before he let out a laugh that chilled everyone to the core. "You naive little girl...I _cause_ fear, not feel it. And I think you just might need some right now." With that, both him and Croix disappeared into the shadows, the grey patches on the woman's skin spreading a little as her eyes flickered yellow.

She knew she couldn't hold this back much longer...and maybe now was the perfect time to test it.

At once, several Nightmares rose up out of the darkness as well as more of Croix's Magitech, everyone watching in shock as they loomed over them, the witches having never faced anything like this before. Everyone seemed lost about what to do...before they remembered the Sorcery Solution System that allowed them to use magic outside of Luna Nova.

"Akko?" Ursula whispered as she stood up, getting on her broom and beckoning her student to get on as well.

"Yeah?"

"Hold on tight."

And at once, the fight began, Ursula and Akko dodging the countless waves of Nightmares and Magitech that came their way. Akko was at least doing a good job blasting them with the Shiny Rod, but in reality she was clinging on for dear life, as Croix's Magitech formed several dragon-like monsters whose flaring-red insides made her want to turn back and think this was all a nightmare...but still, she kept on. The moon, apparently as the Guardians had told her, had big plans for her...and it was no use being a coward.

However, as she glanced over at Lotte and Sucy, who were dodging and using countless spells, potions and spirits in the battle, it was very clear to her that the blonde was lacking in the 'courage' department.

Sucy seemed to be unfazed by the endless amounts of monsters and nightmares, easily cutting through them as Lotte struggled to keep up, before the corners of her mouth turned up triumphantly, Akko not even wanting to know what thoughts were going through her head.

"How...how are you not scared?" Lotte panted, already out of breath after a few minutes, but still taking the time to dodge a Fearling that came her way, vaporising it with her wand. "It's most likely that we might _die_ in this situation, but you're not even caring about it...how...how is that possible?"

"I've seen worse," The girl replied, the statement only raising more questions than answers. Lotte only stared at her dumbfounded, not knowing what to make of this and unsure whether to ask her about it later.

Ursula could only stare at them and the rest of the Guardians in the battle, before looking back to see a large Nightmare heading her way, gasping in shock and quickly turning to the right, Akko holding on for dear life as the broom careened into a different direction - right as Croix appeared, a stern look on her face. Ursula only stared at her former friend in shock, before she got up, standing on her broom.

"Akko, close your eyes. This might be a little too bright, okay?" She gave the girl an almost motherly look though she was lying through her teeth as she didn't want Akko to know her true identity, before it turned into pure hatred as she stared at Croix, who was hardly fazed by the growing grey patches on her skin. Without hesitation, she used her magitech to summon a spear like the one she had used in her 'message' beforehand, and charged at her on a floating machine. Ursula only got into a defensive stance as Akko had her eyes tightly shut, and charged at her using her broom like a surfboard, firing a blast from her wand which Croix quickly countered with her spear, the force making a cloud of dust as Akko covered her eyes in shock, the scene too blurry for her to see anyway.

The very tips of Ursula's hair began to glow red, but she held it back as she charged once more, Croix taking advantage of her, in her words, ' _precious identity problem_ ' by taking her spear and slamming it into the witch's body, luckily doing no damage but leaving a noticeable cut across her cheek.

"Huh," she folded her arms, her cape fluttering in the wind as the grey patches on her skin continued to grow. "Even after all this time, you're still as strong as before. Hard to still believe, after what happened seven years ago."

"Just _give up_ , Croix," Ursula sighed, her uniform slightly tattered, the cut on her cheek leaving some blood trickling down it. Despie this and the crushing guilt above her, she kept staring at the woman, her voice shaky but bold at the same time. "Seven years ago...that doesn't matter. Not _now_ , at least."

Croix only stared at her, her eyes flickering back to their normal teal for a moment, before the grey patches on her skin spread even more, her hair turning fully black. "Well, then, regardless or not...I want to ask you both a question. One that I've been meaning to for a long time now."

Ursula's hair went back to its normal blue at the tips, while Akko opened her eyes at the mention of both of them.

"Do you know what those grey patches on my skin are, and how I've lived so long? Surely you don't remember me having them before, at least."

Ursula's eyes widened, before she suddenly turned around to look at Pitch, who was currently battling Sandy a few miles away, both sides having equal strength as the others were dealing with the nightmares and magitech far below. It was then that she noticed that his skin, eyes and hair were almost identical to Croix's.

"Actually, let me ask that again," Croix shook her head, some of her cape turning black, like it was burning. "Do you know...what _Fearlings_ are?"

Ursula's eyes widened at this, the realisation hitting her with the speed of a train. Fearlings in question were creatures that lured people into their grasp, and then corrupted their souls when they were at their worst. And come to think of it, the first time she saw Croix with those grey patches on her skin was a few days after she had received the Shiny Rod...how didn't she notice...how didn't she-

"Judging by your expression, I'm sure you know the answer." Croix's eyes glowed even brighter, her spear igniting with smoke and nightmare sand. "Those grey patches are _fear_. And I've got a _lot_ of it to share..." And at once, three things happened - Croix began to rise in the air, a storm of black sand forming around her - Sandy and Pitch stopped their battle, or rather, distraction to stare at the sight, and all the nightmares and magitech stopped charging at the others down below, instead rising up, to their surprise.

"Can...can Croix _normally_ do that?" Amanda stared up at the sight, while the others just shook their heads in shock. North, understanding what they needed to do next, immediately cracked the reins on the sleigh, rising upwards.

Meanwhile, all the nightmares and magitech dissipated into their original components, rising up behind Croix to form a giant arrow that was massive compared to all of them, a giant bow similar to the Shiny Rod drawing it back as Ursula and Akko could only watch in pure fear.

"Don't worry," Croix smirked, an almost insane smile as she felt the fear coursing through her, "You're both just mortals, so I'll make it quick."

And with that, the arrow fired, releasing a blast that knocked both Ursula and Akko out of the sky, both screaming as they fell, much to the others' dismay.

"Don't just sit there, do something!" _Diana_ , of all people yelled, snatching the reins from North and cracking them as the sleigh rose up as fast as it could, everyone watching in fear as the two witches fell, their lives flashing before their eyes in an instant. But it was useless...they couldn't get there that fast on their brooms or the sleigh, and even if they did, Akko and Ursula would be broken, bruised and battered by the fall...a great trio of agony.

"So...so this is where it ends..." Ursula muttered to herself as they fell, the Shiny Rod and her broom falling along with them. "Guess I...really wasn't cut out for this...I couldn't even help someone go down the right path...belief is your magic, huh?" She sighed, cursing her naive self even in her supposed final moments.

"Belief..." Akko whispered as she fell, remembering that fateful magic show, and how Chariot had given her hope to become a great witch like her some day. "Believe in yourself..." Her eyes widened, as one of the gemstones on the Shiny Rod began to glow: the moon almost boosting it, Ursula staring at it in shock, her melancholy temporarily forgotten as she stared at it, not remembering it doing that before unless she had unlocked the words...but Akko had already unlocked almost _all_ of them, so what was happening here?

"W-what...what's happening?" North stared at the scene in shock, the others having no idea what was going on. Croix, Pitch and Sandy, however, were still staring at the scene from up above, as the two unknowing spirits of Belief fell, the words ringing in both of their minds as a bond began to form...

" _Believe_ in yourself...believe in _me_..." Both of them stared at the Shiny Rod as they fell, the lights of the city fading into view as the Shiny Rod began to glow even more, almost looking like it would explode if this went on any longer.

Everyone still stared at the sight in shock, as a bright light began to envelop the two witches' bodies...

"That... _that_ is your magic!"

At once, a giant explosion of light engulfed them both, everyone else and the Shiny Rod, both unknowing spirits of Belief having an equal bond and trust in each other... and the light slowly rose up again, none of the people in town noticing as they continued their riot. The blinding light of the Shiny Rod faded away, and everyone glanced around the place, not knowing where Ursula and Akko were... until they caught sight of someone else.

In their place stood a woman with a large witch hat, opaque glasses that covered her maroon eyes, and a combination of both Ursula and Akko's outfits with elegant boots, almost like that of Chariot's. She had dark-brown hair that faded into a light blue, tied carefully by bands, though she still had Akko's ponytail. She was standing on Ursula's broom, gripping a more elegant version of the Shiny Rod in her hand, and she glared at the two fear-infused beings up above with pure hatred.

"...Akko? Professor Ursula?" Lotte stared at the woman, not knowing how to make sense of this. "How...how..."

"Atsuko..." Diana whispered, using the young witch's full name. "Ursula..."

"...How about Ursuko?" Amanda suggested, the others glancing at her before staring back up at the scene.

Half of her surprised at this new form and the other quickly adjusting to it, the fusion gripped the Shiny Rod tightly, all of its gemstones now a dark blue similar to Ursula's hair. Knowing every experience both Ursula and Akko had, though some of her memories as Chariot were tightly locked away, she called out into the darkness, wanting to take her revenge.

" _Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor!_ " she said, not in Akko's usual happy tone or Ursula's motherly voice, but a different one entirely that sparked with determination and belief. Meanwhile, Croix just watched in utter fear as the fusion rose up on her broom, quickly forming a _giant_ bow with the Shiny Rod, and pulling a light-infused arrow. "Shiny..." She drew it back as the whole area flared with energy, feeling everyone's belief herself. "ARC!" She released it, parting clouds as a large arrow flew up into the sky with the speed of an athlete, the two beings watching in shock and curiosity as it soared towards them, resulting in a large flash of light that made everyone shut their eyes. Finally, both spirits of belief were fused, but they didn't know it yet...and when the dust and ash cleared, both beings were gone, as if they had caused no damage.

Ursuko watched the sky, her eyes flickering left and right to see if her enemies were still there. When it seemed like they were all safe, she sighed as the Shiny Rod turned back to its normal form, the tips of her hair that were red fading into their normal blue, and her arms hugging herself tightly as a tearful smile came over her face, part of her pleased at what they had both done so fearlessly, and the other just proud of herself.

"We...I did it...the Shiny Rod, it..." She stared down at herself and then the Shiny Rod in wonder, before focusing hard as if she was in deep thought, before that same light enveloped her, fading away to reveal Ursula and Akko, who were still standing on the broom, before they fell again, luckily being caught in some of the sleigh's seats as the others flew nearer to it.

"How did you do that?" Diana said curiously, trying to make sense of this situation. "Was Chariot able to do that? Or maybe...the Moon has something planned for Akko, implying that she has power...is _this_ it?"

"Well...uh-" Ursula scratched her head before Akko piped up, the biggest grin on her face.

"It was our _belief!_ Chariot used to say that belief is your magic, and then I felt it inside me, and then the Shiny Rod exploded and then we were one person and we used this giant, big, like _really huge_ Shiny Arc and we just shot them both out of the sky!" Akko kept babbling as the Guardians and the others watched, reminding Jack of Jamie a little. The others were somewhat amused by her enthusiasm, apart from Ursula and Bunnymund, who sat in the back, still confused about this turn of events.

"Belief...I wonder if that applies to all of us," Tooth nodded, still gazing at the Shiny Rod, back in its normal form after the fusion.

"Are you _sure_ that she's the actual wielder of the Shiny Rod?" He whispered not so subtly, still unsure about this.

"I've been mentoring her since the beginning - she might not seem like much, but she has incredible power - despite everything." She glanced down at her hands with guilt, holding back the urge to scream or cry. "She has belief inside her- just like _I_ did when I was young." With those words, she couldn't help but stare back at the moon - it almost seemed like Manny had accepted her again - but she still needed to tell Akko the truth, and as she stared at the Shiny Rod in her hands, one of the gemstones now a deep blue, she hoped she could keep this up until she needed to let it out.


End file.
